Facets of career agility as explanatory mechanisms of employees’ career adaptability

Abstract

Background: The fast-changing Industry 4.0 employment conditions require employees to be highly adaptable and resilient in their career self-management. More insight is needed regarding the manner in which facets of career agility (as indicators of adaptive readiness) explain the activation of career adaptability (as an indicator of self-regulated career management resources that help employees proactively respond to the demands of the modern-day technological-driven work context).Objectives: The study explored the career agility facets of technological adaptivity, agile learning, and career navigation as potential explanatory mechanisms of individuals’ career adaptability.Method: The study utilised a cross-sectional research design which involved a convenience sample (N = 177) of employees (mean age = 34 years; SD = 10.14) from various industries on managerial (39%), staff (38%), and professional consultant (23%) level positions across the globe. The sample was mostly represented by individuals employed in the South African organisational context (72%).Results: Multiple regression analyses revealed that technological adaptivity, agile learning and career navigation function as facets of adaptive readiness that explain higher levels of the career adaptability resources embedded in individuals’ career concern, career control, career curiosity, and career confidence.Conclusion: The findings contribute new insights into the construct of career agility and extends research on antecedents of career adaptability. Modern-day career counselling practice may find the results useful in helping clients be nimble in their adaptation to the changing career and job conditions of the digital era.

Weaving the Knowledge Capabilities and Supply Chain Management Skills into the Fabric of Supply Chain Decision Makers: Coexist of Coping Capacity

“…A 23-items scale for DMC will be adopted from Siebert and Kunz (2015). As for measuring KC and CC, 13 items will be adopted from Schnellbächer and Heidenreich (2020) and 19 items from Coetzee et al (2020). As for SCMS, an 18-items scale will be adapted from Prajago and Sohal (2013).…”

A network analysis of cross-occupational skill transferability for the hospitality industry

“…With increasing automation and a quickly changing labor market, skill gaps are expected to grow (Milano, 2019). To be career agile, workers have to “adapt to technological change and engage in continuous learning” (Coetzee et al , 2020, p. 2). The three critical elements for career agility include technological adaptability, learning agility and career navigation (Coetzee et al , 2020).…”

“…To be career agile, workers have to “adapt to technological change and engage in continuous learning” (Coetzee et al , 2020, p. 2). The three critical elements for career agility include technological adaptability, learning agility and career navigation (Coetzee et al , 2020). Technological adaptability correlates with organizational needs for technical capital and the increasing prominence of digital literacies as a core workplace skill (Coetzee et al , 2020).…”

“…The three critical elements for career agility include technological adaptability, learning agility and career navigation (Coetzee et al , 2020). Technological adaptability correlates with organizational needs for technical capital and the increasing prominence of digital literacies as a core workplace skill (Coetzee et al , 2020). Learning agility refers to the ability to learn from experiences and apply the learned lessons to new situations, which can improve work performance and career transition (Lombardo and Eichinger, 2000; Bedford, 2011; Dries et al , 2012; Dai et al , 2013; Kaiser and Craig, 2005).…”

“…Career navigation plays a critical role in individual attempts to advance or transition in careers. It refers to the individual willingness and ability to explore the business environment to take advantage of new career opportunities that fit their preferences and skills (Coetzee et al , 2020). It requires self-knowledge, understanding of conditions and requirements of jobs of interest, active pursuit of new career opportunities, implementation of plans for career advancements, career transitions and lifelong learning (ACT, 2020).…”